#36 Around the World (The 3rd Time)

Close up of backing fabric

Quilting detail

Wrapped up

This is the 3rd time I've made this quilt. I love the pattern, and I will make it again.

It is from a book I took from my mom's library by Eleanor Burns, Trip Around the World. 
The first one I gave to a friend in college,
the second went to my first daughter, and now,
the third to my second.
(If that's not a confusing sentence, I don't know what is).

I found the backing fabric about two years ago at Hancock's in TX. I loved it and thought it would be great for the backing of a quilt. My daughter, who was shopping with me agreed. We bought it and forgot about it (more or less), until her birthday one year ago. She and I went on a special shopping trip together to pick the coordinating fabrics to make the quilt. I told her I would have it done for her birthday this year. I missed it by one day. I loved putting it on her in her sleep--I heard her talking about it excitedly this morning when she woke up with it.

The construction method has you sew the fabrics into tubes and "unsew" in a different place based on what row you are sewing. It is a pretty good method, but you really have to make sure your strips are on grain. I had a few rows that were too wonky to use--but luckily I had enough extra to make it work. I chose to hand quilt each of the 165 squares. At about 15 minutes per square, I was lucky I was only one day off. I began in July, but really could have started much earlier.

The last time I pieced this pattern was Sept 2001. In fact, I bought the fabrics in somewhat patriotic colors shortly after Sept. 11. That quilt took longer to complete, I didn't finish it until the summer of 2004. My cutting was more accurate this time, which translated into more points matching exactly, and the corners of my binding are less rounded--so HOORAY for progress.

I love the repetitive nature of quilting. I like a project where I don't have to think too hard. It is meditative and relaxing for me. One daughter asked me in a negative tone, "Why do you like hand quilting anyway?"

I replied something like, "I like it because it gives me time to think about the person for whom I am sewing. I want them to know that it took a long time and that I loved them with every stitch."

I love the sense of accomplishment when a big project is complete. Now that it's over, I feel some apparel sewing coming on!!!